Why One Direction Fans Are Convinced the Band Has Officially Called It Quits

Earlier this week, fan accounts noticed that 1D's official merch store had gone offline, causing many to jump to the conclusion that it signals the first stage in the group's eventual dissolution. A few optimists maintained that it was merely because the boys weren't currently on tour, though as others pointed out, it has remained active since their hiatus in 2015 — it wouldn't make sense to suddenly take it down three years later without reason.

"My heart literally dropped," tweeted one fan in response to screengrabs of the defunct site. Wrote another: "OMG ITS HAPPENING THEY ARENT COMING BACK ugh help me breathe."

Without any direct comment from One Direction themselves, it's hard to say if there's cause for legitimate concern, or if, say, someone just forget to renew the website domain. The main site, onedirectionmusic.com, remains live but hasn't been updated since 2016.

In the time following their hiatus, all four 1D members have maintained that they will, eventually, get back together. Niall Horan told Billboard in July that they were at "kind of like a little chapter in the middle" and would "see what happens in the future," while Simon Cowell, who helped form the group on X Factor, said last month that he "has a feeling" they'll reunite and that their " legacy is too big not to go back to." Not exactly a full-on confirmation, but they're at least keeping the hope alive.